The Many Masks of Emperor Peony
by Lord of Judgement
Summary: Among many masks of Peony Upala Malkuth the Ninth which Jade could tolerate, there was one which he could not. Series of memories, pre-game. Jade x Peony.


**Summary: **Among many masks of Peony Upala Malkuth the Ninth which Jade could tolerate, there was one which he could not .

**Pairings:** Jade x Peony. Non-explicit.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Tales of the Abyss_ world, story or characters.

**Author's Note:** A oneshot because my brain is utterly consumed by my _Vesperia_ fic. But it's a contribution to my love for Jade x Peony. And for both characters, separately, as well. :)

Timeline is messed up. You'll have to watch out for little details. Just saying.

* * *

**+ THE MANY MASKS OF EMPEROR PEONY +**

Among many masks of Peony Upala Malkuth the Ninth which Jade could tolerate – a hopeless romantic, a spoilt nuisance, a generous and kind Emperor – there was one which he could not. A buffoon. Peony's moods were mercurial, like weather in early spring, which he, a man of intelligence and calm, even cold disposition, could not comprehend. At twenty one his friend had commenced one of those paths attractive and inexplicable to ordinary mortals, but his high status did not leave upon him a single mark, as he walked through the ordeals of his extraordinary life seemingly unscathed. Peony did not become more responsible or more refined in manners; rather, he chose to remain an uncouth child and at times the charm of such image was utterly wasted on Jade.

Himself a Lt. Colonel of the Third Division and the apprentice of the Chief of Staff, Jade Curtiss whom the world had once known as Doctor Jade Balfour was entrusted with protection of the Empire and he was doing precisely that, signing the last documents to arrange the transportation of the newest landship, _Tartarus_, from Sheridan to Grand Chokmah when the door to his office was flung open and none other than the Emperor himself strode into his scarcely alight room. He wore baggy pants and a pair of wicker sandals, a blue tunic with golden embroidery and a radiant smile on his lips which Jade was accustomed to seeing no less frequently than his favorite outfit and favorite pets.

Heaving a soundless sigh, Lt. Colonel adjusted his glasses as if to scrutinize Peony's appearance while in truth he was thinking of an excuse to rid himself of his obnoxious company.

"Don't you think it's unfair?" The Emperor said instead of a greeting, taking a seat on the edge of the table. His sand-colored hair was scattered across his shoulders and Jade could easily imagine how his insufferable friend ran from the Palace to the military headquarters, having forgotten about proper manners. "The old geezers from the Council do nothing but complain, as if they are in collusion against me, their rightful ruler. They never follow my orders. My words and exhortations fall on deaf ears. Am I not the most important man in the Empire?"

"Your Majesty…" Jade didn't know how to respond to the complaint, but his slightly confused expression only encouraged Peony to continue.

"Oh, I knew you'd understand me, my Jade. You're the only one who understands me… You're such a good boy."

"Your Majesty, that is enough. You can leave immediately and salvage the remains of your dignity or I will be compelled to send you out of my office by force. Take your pick."

"What's that?" Peony said in a peevish voice, but he couldn't fool Jade. "Do you think your Emperor will forgive rudeness and disrespect you showed towards him?"

"What kind of an Emperor barges into his subjects' office and starts babbling incoherently? Furthermore, how many times did I ask you not to call me _your_ Jade?"

"Oh? I don't recall…"

"Your Majesty suffers from convenient memory loss."

"Ah, Jade," Peony relented. A mischievous spark inflamed his blue eyes, in brightness overshadowing a flare of sunlight on the facets of the opal he plaited into his hair. "Can't you see it as honor?"

"A derogatory nickname you gave to one of your pets?"

"You are a cruel, cruel man. Seriously, you could let me vent a little from time to time."

Peony possessed inexplicable charm, a talent to disarm him with almost alarming ease. Having leaned back in his chair, he decided to throw himself upon the mercy of his Emperor.

"At least, you left your rappigs at the Palace… Fine, tell me what's been bothering you and I'll pretend it's interesting. Wasn't the Council supposed to convene in the morning?"

Peony compressed his lips. "Yeah, and we were supposed to discuss the upcoming negotiations with King Ingobert. Have you heard about the accusations he brought against us?"

"Are you talking about the disappearance of Kimlascan heir? Luke fon Fabre, was it?"

"They are blaming me. And I swear, members of the Council believed those false accusations! They suspect me, their Emperor!"

"Calm down, Your Majesty. I am sure you're exaggerating."

"Their grudge against Kimlasca is deep. They want me to protect our borders, but my attempt to mobilize the army may be the last straw which will break the mule's back."

"I do not believe you will consent to declaring a war."

"No, I want to negotiate. The wounds left after the Hod War are finally beginning to heal and I won't allow my people to suffer in the name of someone's foolish grudges or desire for glory."

"I pray that you won't."

Peony wiggled his foot and an untimely smile lit up his face – although, due to his chaotic nature, the Emperor's behavior always seemed inappropriate.

"I just had an idea… When are you getting a promotion? You could take control of the Council."

"Now, now, Your Majesty, I am sure you don't want that," replied Jade with unhidden sarcasm. "You will be Emperor only in name… No… I will assign you so much work that you won't have time to procrastinate as you do now."

"W-wait! Anything but that."

"Otherwise, ask away, my Emperor, and I will humbly comply."

"You know, when you trample on your pride like that, I feel like puking."

"It's impossible to satisfy you today, isn't it?"

"You simply don't know how. What I need," Peony raised his forefinger, "is a smart and trustworthy childhood friend. No one can bribe you and you don't care what opinion the old vultures who control the Council hold about you. Will you accompany me to Chesedonia and protect me from enemies… like you did that one time? I know I can rely on your support."

Jade nodded. Despite his outward carelessness and absent-mindedness, the Emperor usually made considered decisions in matters which concerned the prosperity of Malkuth. And his rappigs.

"You've thought it through, haven't you? Then how can I refuse your request, truly?"

"Now that's my Jade," Peony beamed.

"When will you stop calling me that?" Jade lifted his hands in dismay. "It's been seven years since your coronation, maybe even eight, and you have yet to learn how to act like a true Emperor."

Peony always waved aside his reprimands and complaints, especially after he had gotten what he wanted.

"I need to return to Sesemann before he finds a reason to scold me. Don't forget to come by in the evening. I get awfully bored, entertaining those old geezers… Jade." The Emperor winked at him and slipped out of his office.

Jade sighed again, staring at the half-closed door for a moment, then rose and shut it tightly. The room darkened, as if Peony took with him a scintilla of warmth and light.

***o***

The classroom darkened when the cloud shrouded the morning sun. Jade looked out of the window, counting the snowflakes which lazily fell through the air, having lost his interest in the lesson when Professor Nebilim announced she would be explaining the basics of controlling the Fifth Fonon. The only fonon he could not master was the Seventh Fonon, but she would not teach him yet. He was bored and needed an outlet for his energy.

"Who is this new child?" Jade whispered into Saphir's ear, pointing at the unfamiliar boy who sat to their left. He was wrapped in a scarf with white pompons and a few strands of sand-colored hair showed from under his cap.

"They say he's the heir to the throne," his friend pouted in a manner Jade knew too well – Saphir was jealous. "But who cares, right… Jade?"

In his eyes all Nebilim's students were children besides himself. While others had snowball fights and played with their toys, he studied with nearly mad thirst. He was unmatched in his ability to cast complex artes and adults feared his talent, his ambition. Even Saphir with whom he shared his interests could not understand him completely.

"Whoever he is, he cannot sneak into our classroom and hope we will accept him because he is noble and rich." There was a malicious glint in his eyes and his silver-haired friend obsequiously giggled. "But you wouldn't tell anyone, would you?"

Saphir hastily reassured him that their secret was safe with him.

Jade often practiced the most sophisticated artes on monsters or small animals; the one he had mastered barely a week ago, _Infernal Prison_, he had cast on a living stump and watched it slowly burn, noting the effects of fonons on matter in a small book he always carried in his pocket since he replicated his sister's doll. He was curious how the boy would react, whether he would cry or run to Professor Nebilim for consolation, just as he was curious how his spells affected unreasonable beasts.

When the mysterious boy was invited to demonstrate his understanding of the lesson, Jade cast a simple arte and the interference between the same fonons caused the inexperienced practitioner to lose control of the spell. The boy shrieked as flames enveloped his hand. Gelda Nebilim, his beloved professor, didn't lose her head, having extinguished the small fire with a weak water arte, but the damage had been done. Other students jumped to their feet and craned their necks to catch even a glimpse of the hapless boy. People found immeasurable satisfaction in misfortunes of others. A commotion spread over the room and he tried to blend with the crowd, but Nephry suspiciously glanced at him and he knew she would question him after classes.

The boy didn't cry. He stood, transfixed by pain, and cradled his injured hand. His lips trembled and a grimace distorted his face, but he didn't cry and Jade didn't understand why. What gave this sickly, spoiled child such strength of will? Professor Nebilim whispered something soothing in his ear, healed the burn, and then gently pushed him towards Saphir's desk. He approached them with dignity although his gait was slightly unsteady.

"I am Emperor's son, Peony," he introduced himself, smiling even as tears welled up in his eyes, and Jade fancied that this child with sand-colored hair somehow knew who to blame for his pain. "Professor Nebilim said you could show me how to use the Fifth Fonon. What's your name?"

"Jade," he mumbled because the strange child awaited a response although the new chore did not lift his spirits. He couldn't describe how he felt, but for the first time in his life hurting a living being did not afford expected pleasure.

***o***

Jade Curtiss was in a pleasant mood, returning to Grand Chokmah after a month of training his troops near the Kimlascan border. The capital of Malkuth greeted him with familiar loud jocosity of its streets, breathtaking beauty of its fountains and aqueducts and fresh summer breeze. He did not intend to return to the Palace immediately, having decided to wander along the quay and then spend the evening at the tavern, alone, since nobody demanded his urgent presence in the throne room. However, he had scarcely passed the main gate when in the throng he noticed the lush mane of sand-colored hair and a moment later, after the idlers parted, the Emperor's tall, broad-shouldered figure revealed itself. Peony was the perfect picture of health and Jade was glad to see that the recent attempt on his life didn't discourage him from taking strolls around the city. If the Emperor didn't insist, stubbornly, on the Councilor's decision to send him away, he would have stayed in the capital.

"Well, isn't it Jade Curtiss himself?" Said Peony, showing no amazement at the suddenness of their meeting and his reaction only further convinced Jade that the Emperor expected his arrival.

"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He dismounted and dismissed his convoy.

With a smile, exposing a set of white teeth, Peony seized him by the arm and dragged him towards the market. People recognized them, greeted them with a wave of a hand, and from time to time the Emperor halted to exchange a few polite words with his subjects, but afterwards he always returned to Jade.

"I want another pet and you are going to help me choose it."

"Isn't it Sesemann's job, to cater to Your Majesty's whims? You know it's still dangerous for you to loiter about the streets of Grand Chokmah alone."

"I won't let them scare me," resolutely declared Peony, tightening the grip around his arm just a tad. "I am not going to lock myself in the Palace, trembling from fear, or flee the capital as I did almost fifteen years ago on my father's orders. I won, the Closed Score was fulfilled and… I won't hide again."

"I understand, Your Majesty, but my natural prudence compels me to say that you're exposing yourself to unnecessary danger."

"Are you worried about me, Jade?"

Their coach was passing through the Theor forest, approaching Grand Chokmah, and the convoy was light. Peony's rivals must have known that for they ambushed them near a narrow ravine, killing two soldiers from Malkuth army and the coachman with arrows. The Emperor had to draw his sword and prove to his enemies that his skills hadn't rusted, but without Jade's help, he would have died. They both understood it now as clearly as they understood it when Jade held the Emperor in his arms, trying to staunch his wound. Peony's shoulder was bleeding profusely and his sun-kissed face paled with each heartbeat…

"I am worried about the prosperity of Malkuth," he replied coldly, pushing his glasses into the bridge of his nose and thus hiding his eyes. Peony had a habit of asking straightforward questions.

"Ah, Jade, heartless as ever. C'mon, look, isn't he the cutest thing in the world?" The Emperor ran towards the cage where rappigs were playing, filling the air with shrill grunting. There he kneeled, outstretching his arm towards the piglets, and they nuzzled at his palm, fondly, trustingly.

Rappigs, if anyone asked Jade's opinion, were disgusting creatures, dirty, importunate and loud, however, he had to bite his tongue and tolerate their presence.

"Aren't they adorable? I want all of them," continued Peony. "But Sesemann – that boring old man – allowed me to buy only one more pet. He said he wouldn't turn the Palace of my ancestors into a pigpen."

"For once, I will have to agree with my mentor."

"One day I'll leave you with my rappigs and you'll see how cute they are for yourself."

"I am afraid I'd rather be dispatched to the front lines if there was a conflict with Kimlasca."

"I knew you'd say that. What do you think about this one? He has an adorable black spot on his nose and a few under his eyes. He looks like you, yes."

Jade shook his head. "Is this the reason you won't let me rest after a long journey, my Emperor?" He asked mockingly.

Peony paid the merchant who kept bowing and complimenting his choice.

"Hold him for a moment, will you?"

Before Jade could object, the Emperor shoved the happy animal into his arms and since he held it as far from his impeccable uniform as possible, the piglet stilled, shifting its curious gaze from him to its new owner. Peony moved away from the shopboard and, pretending to count money, slipped a hand into his tunic – a hand too delicate for a swordsman. From there he procured a letter and adroitly thrust it into Jade's pocket, all in one calculated movement.

"I have strong suspicions about the identity of my unfortunate assassins," the smile disappeared from the Emperor's face. "They have gotten so close this time. I can trust you and Sesemann and maybe another young captain, Frings. Hence the secrecy. I want you to find more proof and… eliminate them."

Now he spoke like a true Emperor and something akin to genuine pride swelled up in Jade's heart. Many enemies believed Peony to be a careless fool and they paid for it. Unnoticeably squeezing those delicate fingers to show he understood the request, Jade gave him the piglet back and cheerfully teased:

"Why don't you name him Peony?"

"I name my rappigs after the people I care about so that they can always be with me even if they choose to heroically waste their time on Malkuth border. And, besides, the world can bear only one Emperor Peony."

"With that statement, Your Majesty, I cannot argue. Would you like me to escort you back to the Palace?"

"Please… But first I must buy my cute little Jade a present since I know you won't accept one."

"For what merit, pray tell me?"

"You couldn't have forgotten how you helped me, could you?"

Jade intently gazed at his friend's serene visage, then looked away in strange agitation, only now noticing that the sky was without a cloud and the water in an artificial waterfall dazzlingly glittered.

"I am not the only one who saved a life, Your Majesty," he replied under his breath.

***o***

The pain which nestled in his body was so unbearable that even a mere thought of taking a stroll gave rise to a nauseating sensation. It served him right to pay for such carelessness. The solution he devised was as foolish as confusing an element with the aggregate sentience which embodied it. To think that he, Jade Balfour, Jade the Necromancer, would experiment with his own body, place it into a fon machine of Saphir's design… He groaned. The replicas he created with his friend in a lab back at the academy lacked the necessary fonons, mainly the First and the Sixth, and he decided to let them _feed_ on his power. As a result, he was bedridden for a week and even then felt as though his body was falling apart. The light in his eyes dimmed periodically and he could barely breathe when he had to move.

Jade knew what the doctors whispered in the hallways. He was lucky to have survived his own experiments, some said. He deserved the outcome, said others. Hardly a soul with a degree in a medical field had never heard of his alias, the Necromancer. And then, when drugs had finally alleviated his misery, Peony came and pushed him back into perpetual darkness.

His Emperor was renowned for his genial disposition; he rarely lost his temper, but that day he stormed into the ward where Jade was recovering in a frenzy of despair, screaming.

"You don't care whether you live or die, or squander your life to placate the dead, but have you spared a single thought for Nephry, for me… How would we feel if you never woke up? Or are you not capable, like a child, to think of anyone but yourself?" His screams continued for at least ten minutes, but those were the longest ten minutes in Jade's life. The Emperor's eyes were darker than the opal in his hair, darker even than the evening sky outside his window and for the first time since Nebilim's death he genuinely regretted his decision to continue his research on fomicry.

Once Peony had lapsed into silence, he attempted to respond.

"What do you want, Your Majesty?" His chapped lips refused to move, but he willed them to open, to utter coherent words.

"As your king, I want you to rest in Keterburg with your family for two or three weeks. As your friend, I want you to shut down your lab and forget about the gruesome experimentations which brought you nothing but bad luck. Firstly, your reputation suffered and now your body… It was never worth it to bring her back."

"So you knew…"

"Who do you think I am? I had suspicions and Nephry confirmed them… We still exchange letters from time to time."

His sister Nephry was the Emperor's first love. Jade never believed in childish feelings.

"Gelda Nebilim… it wasn't an accident… She died because I…" It was becoming harder for him to speak and the flames which burnt in his head reminded him of the fire which destroyed the Professor's home, but he had to tell Peony. He _had_ to explain, justify himself somehow. "I practiced the use of the Seventh Fonon… my arte killed her… killed Professor Nebilim and Saphir was there…"

"I see… Don't say another word, only promise me you'll never experiment on yourself or other replicas." The Emperor poured a glass of water and brought it to his lips. Holding his head steady, as if he were an invalid, Peony made him drink. As Jade swallowed the cold liquid, wincing from pain, the flames burning inside him were extinguished and he could think clearer.

"I can't make that promise…"

"Why? We loved Professor Nebilim, but she died long ago, like my siblings, and you have to move on…"

He tried to shake his head. "I wanted to bring her back and ask… her forgiveness…"

Upon hearing his words, Peony flew into a passion again and hurled the guiltless glass into a wall.

"Listen to yourself! What madness is it, truly… Have you done all _this_ to… to feel better about yourself? Are you trying to tell me you are a coward who cannot accept responsibility for his actions?"

"That _is_ my responsibility…"

"No, your responsibility is to live your life for something other than an illusion of a goal. Your responsibility is to use your talent, not let it rot. Your responsibility is to be a friend and a brother and a… a lover to someone and don't you dare tell me that fomircy is more important than everything else you have."

Jade didn't know how to respond. Peony was right, he let Saphir poison his mind – no, he let himself twist his own thoughts, alter his reality, and remain blinded by a single purpose which embodied something that had a semblance of a meaning nine years ago, but now it was empty. The realization frightened him.

"I'll think about what you said," Jade finally broke the awkward silence. Was he still endeavoring to salvage the remnants of his pride? "Although Saphir will be dissatisfied, I'll cease trying to replicate her and… maybe, I will ban fomicry altogether. Maybe."

With tears in his eyes, Peony dropped down on his knees near the bed and clutched his hand, pressing it to his lips for an insignificant moment. How could he refuse his Emperor, Jade thought, if he could not do it even when they were children?

***o***

Every question, every object or person, who had ever acquired his interest needed a thorough investigation and it so happened that the boy from the mysterious manor became his next victim. Ever since that incident in the classroom, Jade took upon himself an uneasy task to find out everything about the Emperor's heir. Peony intrigued him and even if his curiosity was somewhat aloof, it was more than he could say about most inhabitants of his hometown.

Jade prepared for months, watching the guards change shifts under the window of Peony's room, choosing the right time so that he wouldn't come too early or too late, and then on one snowy weekend, he implemented his plan. Saphir remained outside as a bait to distract the guards while he climbed inside the bedchambers. He expected to see something extraordinary in Peony's room, but his hopes weren't realized. At first glance, he noticed but unobtrusive furniture and a collection of stuffed toys.

Peony sat on the chair, cross-legged. An open book lay on the table and he was assiduously copying its contents onto the piece of paper. When he heard the noise, he fixed his eyes on the intruder, showing no signs of perturbation or fear.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Am I not welcome?" Jade wisely kept his distance from the Emperor's heir. The window remained open in case he had to escape the angry guards and snowflakes fell through the chink abundantly, melting on his skin. "Then I will leave immediately."

"No, no, stay. I am bored and you'll teach me how to use the Fifth Fonon."

And so the ice was broken. Jade saw it as an opportunity to boast about his mastery over the fonons and Peony's naïve admiration of his skills did wonders to his self-esteem. Even the Emperor's family respected him, he thought, demonstrating an easy but rather impressive fire arte which wouldn't burn down the whole house. In turn, the little prince was excited that he had a nightly visitor in his prison, as he named the large manor. He eagerly told Jade the part of the story he knew about his father's enemies who desired to usurp the throne, about his parent's decision to send him away to the remote town for his own safety, about his long journey. Peony had seen an ocean before since he was born in Grand Chokmah, but he never traveled by ship and its boundless expanse, rippled by foamy waves, created an ineffaceable impression in his mind. He even complained he missed home, but the notion was foreign to Jade.

After they talked for two hours, Jade prepared to leave, but Peony grabbed him, pulled him back into the room and whispered into his ear.

"Come again. You can't say _no_ to this."

He was startled by such unceremonious treatment more so than by the nature of Peony's request.

"I'll raise my voice if you refuse. Prison isn't a nice place to stay." A mischievous grin played upon his lips.

Jade was outsmarted, but the defeat only sparked a desire to challenge the young royalty again. He nodded, releasing himself from Peony's grip and climbed onto the windowsill.

"What a shameless schemer you are, Your Highness."

***o***

"It must have been someone's schemes, Jade," said Saphir. "I don't believe you would willingly give up our dream."

"People change. I did," he replied.

"I don't believe you. I don't want to believe you."

"Suit yourself. But I won't return to the lab."

"You'll forfeit your greatness!"

"No, I will achieve it somewhere else. An integral part of being great is being adaptable."

***o***

There was a patter of feet behind him and a trembling senile voice exclaimed, "Thanks to Lorelei, I found you, Jade Curtiss! Come with me, quickly!"

"Sesemann? What's the matter?" Jade politely greeted his mentor, immediately noticing the little details in his appearance which would have eluded most people, but not him. The old Councilor looked genuinely worried, sickly almost, his long beard bristled and his purblind eyes were begging him in a manner he found lacking in dignity. There existed only one person in the whole world whose health could make the old man so anxious. "Is His Majesty feeling well?"

"That's just the trouble that he isn't," was the sorrowful reply. "The Emperor locked himself in his bedchambers and announced to all menials that he wouldn't talk to anyone but you. You understand my misgivings, don't you? Since he returned from Keterburg, he showed signs of an unhinged mind, but yesterday it had gotten worse and now… You must speak to him at once."

"Lead the way, Sesemann."

Although Jade could easily find Peony's bedroom, he preferred to be escorted, using however little time he had left to prepare himself mentally for what awaited him there. If Peony visited Keterburg, he saw Nephry and it wasn't hard to deduce that he must have suffered a misfortune. However, his sister's rejection couldn't be the only reason for the Emperor's dismay, since they heretofore suspected that the Council wouldn't let him marry an ordinary girl.

What trouble had befallen his Emperor now?

On the threshold Jade halted, smoothed out his already immaculate uniform, took a deep breath and even glanced at his reflection in the wall mirror, for he couldn't let himself show any feelings or the conversation would be brutal – a simple task which in Peony's presence threatened to become a formidable challenge to his will. If the Emperor decided to discuss his recent ban on fomicry or Nebilim, Jade wasn't certain he would be able to maintain his composure.

"Your Majesty, we found Jade," meanwhile, Sesemann was able to convince Peony that they were not lying and with a grateful tap on the shoulder from the Chief of Staff – a silent blessing of a kind – the young Major of Malkuth army was allowed to enter.

Peony lay on the large bed, crestfallen, devoid of life which always effervesced in him and Jade felt a wave of sickening compassion rising within. He always found pity to be beneath him, a consolation for the weak and the foolish, but his best friend did present a deplorable sight. His sand-colored hair was scattered across the pillow in disarray. The color of his skin vied with the whiteness of sheets. With one hand he slowly stroked a rappig – Jade didn't know which one since to him they appeared identical – and the other hung listlessly from the edge of the bed. When he entered, the Emperor's eyes sparkled with feverish excitement and grew dim equally quickly.

"Sit with me…" He said. After Jade complied with his wish, he continued. "I know what you're thinking. You're pathetic, Peony, and yeah, I might even admit I am without a whit of shame. But… listen to what I have to say before judging me so harshly. "

"I know something happened between you and my sister…" he began, cautiously, to encourage his best friend to talk so that he wouldn't withdraw into himself – a hypocritical wish since Jade had always done precisely that, preferring to suffer in solitude than admitting he regretted the consequences of his actions.

"Ah, Nephry… yes. You're as astute as ever. You know I was in love with her, I never kept it a secret, but we weren't meant to be together. And I would have accepted it – believe me, I would – without bitter resentment if she told me she no longer loved me. I understand, feelings fade with time, ardor burns out… a triviality of life. But then I receive a letter from her. I rush to Keterburg because she begs me to come, but she greets me distantly and almost nonchalantly informs me that she is engaged to some viscount. I am devastated, but when she tells me the reason, anger overpowers me… just like when I heard you nearly killed yourself, experimenting with replicas. We argue. It's altogether too much for her and she bursts into tears, confessing she loves me still. Why did she confess?"

"If her feelings hadn't changed, why did she agree to marry another man?"

"You see, two weeks ago her father invited a cleric to read her Score and there it was declared that she would marry Viscount Osborne by the end of this year. She met him a day before I arrived and decided that regardless of how we felt towards each other, she wouldn't defy the Score. Why, Jade? I am the ruler of Malkuth Empire and yet before the insuperable force of the Planet's memory I am but a quivering leaf in the wind. I was exiled to Keterburg because my parents were hell-bent on obeying the Score; my siblings died because it was written that I would be the next Emperor. And Hod… such foolishness!"

"I understand how you feel, Your Majesty…"

"No, you don't… And stop calling me by this accursed title! I am your friend and I order you to address me by my birth name."

Jade prudently decided to say nothing about the obvious contradiction in the Emperor's passionate speech.

"Fine, I'll make an exception for you today… But I won't lie to you. You shouldn't be ignoring your duties because you feel miserable. I'll help you…"

"Will you listen to me, Jade, just once? Please…" Peony implored with such overwhelming vehemence that he was startled beyond speech. "I never told a single soul, living or dead, about another part of the Closed Score I found by mistake. A small part, nothing more than a few sentences, but there it is prophesized that Malkuth will fall and the throne will be stained with the blood of its last Emperor. When? How? I do not know… With certainty I can tell you only one truth. I am the last Emperor of Malkuth. And soon I will perish… I seemed to have forgotten about it somehow, but Nephry brought the memory back, and yet again I tormented myself, fretted over these questions, finding no answer. Why did I deserve such cruelty – no, not to realize that free will is but a delusion – but to become aware of my own mortality, of my inevitable failure to serve the country I love? To be bereft of all hope… How can I agree to accept such fate? Where can I find strength to resist it?"

"What are you going to do now?" Jade inquired because he had to say _something_, but what could be said indeed?

"Sleep with a maid. Try to forget about… everything."

"I would advise against it. It seems like you wish to find a replacement for Nephry… and they are called replacements for a reason. Like with replicas…" His voice trailed off.

"What a fine advisor you are," Peony frowned and leaned forward to kiss a rappig. "At least, you won't insist I rid myself of my pets… And of course, I will return to my duties because I don't have a choice. And of course, I will smile because it's easy… I might just plunge a dagger into my chest and bleed out. Nobody will care and besides, what does it matter, now or a month later… At least, I'll spare a poor, innocent soul from twinges of conscience."

"Peony," his friend's name tasted strangely on his lips, delicate like the eponymous flower and sweet, unbearably sweet. "Don't be overdramatic. I promise I will do everything in my power and beyond to protect you. No matter what is written in the Score, I won't let you die and even if your time comes, you won't perish in vain." An unknown emotion seized him suddenly and his throat contracted. "Upon my life I swear, you won't perish… in vain…"

"Jade?"

He clenched his fist and forced himself to smile. "You'll be fine. And I'll return to my duties if you don't need me…"

"No, Jade, I want you to stay…" His Emperor masterfully objected.

"Is there a reason this time or you request my presence on a whim, Your Ma-… Peony?"

The deadly paleness on the Emperor's face gave place to a deep suffusion. "Spend a night… with me…"

Jade leapt up to his feet and recoiled from the bed. "No, Your Majesty."

"Why?" Peony raised himself on the elbow and loosened the laces on his shirt. "I am handsome, so they say, even old Nordheim, and someone must be telling the truth."

"Because you are distressed, you are not thinking clearly and we will regret the rash decision…"

"I won't. And why should you? I am not forcing you into a lifelong commitment and…"

"No," he took another step backwards, fearing Peony's fickle mood.

"Not even a night?"

"No."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I cannot be a replacement… Your Majesty," Jade whispered and, having bowed, slammed the door with unnecessary force.

…Later that night the Emperor sent him a formal apology, a rather cold one, too, and Jade assumed it was safe to forget, but the thought had been spoken aloud, the idea had lodged itself in his mind and for many a night the image of Peony haunted him until he finally surrendered. Unconditionally.

***o***

Jade appeared before the Council at the end of fall, after the leaders of a small rebellion surrendered unconditionally, and demanded to execute them immediately. Both Nordheim and Sesemann supported him and so the last representatives of the Adelstan's family died quietly. His mentor never asked for an explanation, just as he never asked what happened between him and Peony that night. The eldest son of Duke Adelstan was responsible for the assassination attempt, for stirring up the rebellion against the Malkuth throne and it was a solid enough reason to convict them without a trial. Only Jade knew the truth which died with them. They tried to fulfill the Closed Score which predicted Peony's downfall.

***o***

The negotiations at Chesedonia resulted in leaders of both countries signing another uneasy truce after young Luke fon Fabre returned home. Nobody could say for certain why he was kidnapped and the boy was so traumatized he lost all memories. Malkuth military denied their involvement and so did Peony, however, their eloquence couldn't utterly convince King Ingobert and his advisors. Suspicions heightened the tension and both rulers departed to their capital cities before a fickle chance ruined their attempts to maintain peace.

In Grand Chokmah, as though to erase the unpleasant memories of a questionable success, Peony hosted a splendid reception with fireworks, circus performances and a dinner for two hundred guests from military and nobility. Delicacies were served, trifling arguments were settled, Sesemann arranged a marriage for his youngest daughter and Peony beamed with delight, being the embodiment of charm and courteousness. The celebration dragged on after midnight and eventually Jade lost patience to coax and flatter the nobles. The Palace was dark and unusually lifeless. Shadows of guards stood in doorways, saluting him silently, as he passed them in a hurry.

In his room, Jade pulled off his boots and as he was, in full military uniform, stretched on his bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. He was irritated, tired and yet he didn't get a wink of sleep until dawn. He thought about Peony, about the ordeals they faced together, about victories they achieved, about the times they helped each other; and the longer he thought, the clearer he realized that he could no longer pretend he wasn't attracted, hopelessly, to his Emperor.

Once Peony suggested it was a reciprocal feeling. Could he still remember that offer?

Jade somehow survived the next day and once the evening shadows deepened, he snuck into Peony's bedchambers as he used to when they were children. The Emperor sat on the floor, surrounded by rappigs who ate from his hands, and if Jade didn't mistake an unknown noise for his quiet voice, he was _talking_ to them.

"Your security is ghastly complacent, Your Majesty," he remarked calmly, shaking dust off his uniform.

"I was just telling my cute little Jade what a false friend you are," replied Peony with feigned indignation. "You left me alone in that den of wolves, having disappeared without saying a word."

"If Your Majesty is dissatisfied with my actions, I will take my leave." He turned to the window, but did not hurry to open it. "You are not going to stop me this time?"

"Should I? Unless what you wanted to tell me cannot wait until morning, I don't see a reason to prolong your visit. Although it was sweet of you to remind me of the fun we had as kids."

Suddenly Jade didn't know whether Peony hid under an indifferent mask or he had forgotten those damned words for a good reason.

"I suppose I deserve it," he whispered, but the Emperor heard him.

"Jade, what's the matter?" He inquired with concern.

"There is something I need to tell you. Can you find time for me or should I… leave? Perhaps, it is for the best…"

But Peony had already risen and locked his rappigs in the adjoining room. Then he comfortably settled on the bed, as if expecting a long conversation, but Jade was certain it would be brief and disastrous.

"I see something is bothering you. Do you think we could have achieved more in the negotiations with Kimlasca? Or is it about the new ordinance according to which all citizens are allowed to bear arms?"

"Forget about politics," Jade approached the bed on rigid legs. "My question is… personal. Do you remember how a few years back you asked me if I wanted to spend a night with you?"

"No, Jade, you were right, I wasn't myself. It was a mistake I do not intend to repeat, you shouldn't worry…"

"So you have never thought about us afterwards?" Jade already knew the answer, but he wouldn't leave before their misunderstanding was resolved. Otherwise, he will try to find a loophole, a question he didn't voice aloud, clutching at every excuse to harbor a vain hope. Such was human weakness.

"Have _you_?" Peony asked with a strained smile.

"Ah, I am such an idiot," he lifted his arms in dismay. "For what's it worth, my belated answer is _yes_."

For a moment Peony looked utterly dumbfounded, but it was a beautiful sight – azure framed in gold, like boundless skies above the rye field, or something equally poetic…

…until he opened his mouth.

"Then you think I am handsome."

"Yes."

"Then you admit you shouldn't have rejected me."

"Yes," he repeated, patiently. Jade decided he would stoically endure torture and humiliation of any kind if there existed a possibility he could be wrong and the Emperor had _not_ forgotten…

"Then you vow fidelity and everlasting love to your Emperor and entrust your fate to him gladly and on your own volition."

"Yes."

Peony threw his arms around Jade's neck, his mask cracked, and the next moment they were kissing, greedily, alternating lips and tongue, or tenderly, sharing one breath. The Emperor's fingers gently stroked his hair. Jade's hands awkwardly settled on Peony's narrow hips, pressing them into his own with force, and then he understood how much his friend had wanted him. That night and perhaps all those years.

Suddenly, the Emperor froze in his embrace.

"Jade…" a barely audible whisper rang in his ear. "I know you meddled with that fonic arte when we were kids. Nephry told me. You wanted to hurt me because you thought I led a sheltered life and my parents protected me from pain. But I immediately forgave you, Jade, because you couldn't possibly know how deeply I was wounded before. I simply never showed it. Emperors wear many masks and after my older brothers and sister were slaughtered I understood why. The world needed a joyful, unconcerned fool, but neither was I a fool, nor could I always be happy."

"You know me too well," Jade couldn't find other words, kissing Peony's smooth, suntanned shoulder, his neck and then his lips again and nothing mattered anymore because for once in a way his Emperor wore no masks, appearing before him exposed, trusting, vulnerable, and even he, Jade the Necromancer, was not heartless enough to hurt him.

* * *

**The end.**


End file.
